Reinforcement for the composition covering of structural members



March 29, 1938. D. H. HAYDEN 2,112,598

REINFORCMENT FOR THE COMPOSITION COVERING OF STRUCTURAL MEMBERS Filed OCT.. 3,-1936 Patented Mar. 29, 1938 UNITED STATES REINFORCEMENT FOR THE COMPOSITION COVERING OF STRUCTURAL-MEMBERS David Homer Hayden, Candlewood Isle, New Fairfield, Conn.

Application `October 3,

13 Claims.

This invention relates to metal caging such as is used for the reinforcement of the cementitious covering for structural members like I-beams and other shapes, and has for its object to improve the construction of such caging and make it more foolproof and less liable to accidental distortion either during or after its application to the structural shape.

Another object is to provide such reinforcing caging which is capable of being applied only in the correct Way and not capable of being applied when of such a Wrong size as to be susceptible of objectionable distortion.

A further object is to provide such caging that will not be injured or disto-rted if Walked on.

The existing me-tal caging is sometimes satisfactory but is liable to injury and deformation Which lessens its eciency for the intended purpose. According to this invention there is provided a zigzag member spaced from the surface of the structural member with extensions secured to the zigzag member' and laterally spaced from the side edges of the structural member. Also there is spacing means for the zigzag member and its extensions, Which spacing means is connected on each side of the zigzag memberl in addition to the connection through the zigzag member.

kReferring to the drawing,

Fig. 1 is a bottom perspective of an I-bearn having the metal caging of this invention applied to its bottom ange.

Fig. 2 is a transverse cross section through an I-beam having the metal caging of this invention applied and the composition covering enclosing the beam and caging.

Fig. 3 is a section through a channel member to Which the metal caging of this invention has been applied.

Fig. 4 is an angle to which this invention has been applied.

Fig. 5 is another embodiment.

In Fig. 1 the lower flange I0 of an I-beam. is provided With a stay or zigzag member I I. There is an attaching hook portion I2 contiguous the edge of the I-beam flange for spacing and supporting the zigzag member II. Another attaching hook portion I3 is offset from the side edge .bottom flange and is secured to the zigzag member II outside of the zigzag portion. Substantially contiguous the adjacent surface of the beam is another stay or zigzag member I4 Whose ends are connected outside the zigzag to the spacing and attaching hook portion I2. Short strips of Wire as indicated are spot Welded at I5 ad- 1936, Serial N0. 103,808

(Cl. 'Y2-109) jacent 'the hook end portions, While other short portions of Wires I6 are Welded to the hook portions I2 and I3 outside the zigzag.

Still other short strips of Wire are Welded at I1 and I8 at substantially the sides of the zigzag.

Before being attached the metal caging of this invention is provided in the form shown at the right of Fig. 1 and in order to attach this cagingto the bottom flange of an I-beam for example, it is necessary to secure the end hooks against slipping 01T the I-beam, which can be done in several Ways:-(1) a cross suspension wire similar to the Wire 21 in Fig. 3 could be used, (2) the hooks might twisted sidewise enough to bend over the'edge or" the I-beam flange, or (3) portions o-f the zigzag members at I9 and 20 could be bent in, stretching out the zigzags until the hooks engage and become contiguous both opposite edges of the structural member. The zigzag member I4 also has portions 2i and 22 where "corresponding bending occurs in the application of the metal caging to an I-beam flange.

In manufacturing, the zigzag member II and its supporting hook portions I3 are formed by spot Welding the connecting Wire pieces Il to the sides of the stays I I. The stays I4 and their supportingl hook portions I2 are also separately formed ,Withthe aid of the Welded strips IS. The two stays and their connected hook portions are then placed in the substantially nested relations shown at the right of Fig.' 1 When the Welded strips I5 and I6 hold the two stays and their sup'- porting hook portions in position permanently secured and spaced. After this has been done the caging is applied to one Vside of a structural member as shown in Fig 1 and then the opposite hook or supporting portions are caused to engage the opposite lateral edge of the flange as the stays II and I4 are expanded into their zigzag form illustrated at the left of Fig. 1.

For use with a channel section 23 as shown in Fig. 3, the inner` and outer stays 25 and 24 respectively are connected through the welded strip 26 With a supporting portion 21 having afhooked end 28 bent over and around one edge of the channel as illustrated. The inner and outer stays are made in zigzag form 29 between the sides o'i the channel member.

In Fig. 4 the angle 39 has an outer zigzag member as Well as an innerzigzig member. The inner stay or zigzag member is provided With a loop bend 33 at the vertex of the angle Sii and each of these stays is provided with spacing portions 34 and 35 and also with hooked portions 36 and 37,'the inner and outer 'zigzag members being welded together by the short lengths of cross Wires illustrated.

Among the advantages of this invention may be mentioned the provision of an unusually rigid and most nearly ideal metal caging which is best able to withstand either intentional or accidental deformation. Since the hook end portions lie contiguous the top of the bottom flange, there is less danger of any deformation due to these supporting portions being bent out of shape by being walked n. In other words, there are no supporting hook portions which extend substantially above the contiguous surface of the bottom flange. The attaching hooi: portions lI2 andI3 are made quite rigid and strong through being welded together at I and I6. The two zigzag membersv II and I4 are held inY spaced relation, one being substantially contiguous the adjacent surface of the I-beam flange whereas the other is securely held at a fixed spaced distance therefrom.

When expanded both of the zigzag members becomeshorter laterally until the hook portion I2 is contiguous the side edge of the I-beam flange on opposite sides. The provision of two zigzag members reinforces the metal cagingito such an extent that there is little danger of the hook end portions being bent down or bent until theyY do not properly support the caging as vhas been the trouble with prior art constructions. The lpresent invention is an ideal solution for metal caging of this sort. Y 'I'here are portions II spacedv below the bottom of the I-beam flange i and Valso laterally spaced at I3 beyond the side edges ofthe flange, yet neither of these spaced portions is in danger of getting bent out of shape nor in danger of objectionably impeding the flow or pouring of the cementitious covering.

Looked atin another way, the caging of this invention is more foolproof because it is capable of being applied only in the right way and there is little or no danger of it being distorted if of a wrong size. 'I'he accidental shocks or thrusts either laterally or in any other way to which caging of this sort may be subjected, is less in danger of distorting the present invention than is` true of prior art suggestions. There are no loose ends as has formerly been used and therefore there is less danger of any part of this caging getting tangled such as might occur if one piece were placed on top of another.

The reinforcing caging illustrated in Fig. 1 is easy to apply, it being only necessary to apply the hooks on one side, expand the zigzag portions `until the opposite hooks engage the opposite side edge of the I-beam flange. 'I'here is substantially no danger of the zigzag members being expanded too muchy because theV hook portions I2 engage Vthe opposite sides, of the I-beam flange and prevent it. In the prior art constructions it was possible to spreadl or expand the zigzag members more than wasintended. Both the zigzag members are of the same and constant width for all ordinary sizes of structural shapes, the difference in size being taken care of in this invention by the` differencein length of the hook attaching portions beyond the zigzag members. A stress in any direction applied to any part of either zigzag member or either hook attaching portion is immediately transferred to a portion of the other zigzag member or other hook attaching part and the two portions together act to reinforce all parts of the cagingl against objectionable deformation.

zigzag portions I Ia and Ma are of the same shape as in the embodiment in Figs. 1 and 2, except that the outer zigzag member I Iay is spaced from the inner zigzag member by bent portions 39 and 40. One end of the outer zigzag member I Ia terminates in the horizontal portion 40 while the other part of the zigzag member extends laterally beyond the portion 4I) to form an offset hook portion I3a, Whichis spot welded through the strip I5a to the hook portion I2a of the inner zigzag member.

Another strip I5b may, if desired, be welded to the hook portion I 2a beyond the end of the hook portion I3a, to facilitate construction of the inner zigzag member. When the zigzag members are expanded the bend in the outer lzigzag member IIa occurs as far as the strip 39 which is welded to the outer zigzag member. In this extension the bending in the inner zigzag member I4a. extends as far as the strip 39a. The strip 39a is larger thanv the strip 39 and is welded to both the inner and outer zigzags, the strip 39 being welded only to the outer zigzag member is not fastened to the inner zigzag member I4a. The strip 39a is enough larger than the strip 39 to allow it to be welded to both the upper and. lower zigzag members and still keep the inner zigzag member I4a from being secured to the strip 39.

I claim:

l. A metal caging for reinforcing acomposition covering of structural members which comprises a zig-zag member spaced from the surface of said structural member adjacent thereto, extensions secured to the zig-zag member and laterally spaced from the side edges of a structural member as well as said adjacent surface, and

spacing means contiguousthe side edges and said adjacent surface for positioning said zig-zag member and its extensions from said edges and adjacent surface, said spacing means on each side of said zig-zag member being substantially rigidly connected in addition to the connection through said zig-zag member.

2. A metal caging for reinforcing a composition covering of structural members which comprises a zig-zag member spaced from the surface of said structural member adjacent thereto, extensions secured to the zig-zag member and laterally spaced from the side edges of a structural member as Well as said adjacent surface, and spacing means contiguous the side edges and said adjacent surface for positioning vsaidfzigezag member and its extensions from said edges and adjacent surface, said spacing means on each side of said zig-zag member being substantially rigidly connected in addition to the connection through said zig-zag member, the connection between said spacing means comprising another zig-zag member closer to said adjacent surface of the structural member than the first mentioned zig-zag member.

3. A metal caging for reinforcing a composition covering of structural members which comprises a zig-zagmember spaced from the surface of said structural member adjacent thereto, ex.

tural member as well as said adjacent surface,

and spacing means contiguous the side edges and said adjacent surface for positioning said zig-zag member and its extensions from said edges and adjacent surface, said spacing means stifening and reinforcing said extensions against bending beyond the zig-zag member.

4. A metal caging for reinforcing a composition covering of structural members which comprises a pair of zig-zag members held offset in spaced relation by connections external of the zig-zag portions, and pairs of attaching hook portions beyond said connections on each side for the zig-zag members.

5. A metal caging for reinforcing a composition covering of structural members which comprises a pair of zig-zag members held in offset spaced relation by connections external of the zig-zag portions, and pairs of attaching hook portions beyond said connections on each side for the zig- Zag members, each pair of said hook portions being secured together adjacent the zig-zag member and also adjacent their hook ends.

6. A metal caging for reinforcing a composition covering of structural members which comprises a zig-zag member spaced from the adjacent surface of said structural member and provided externally of the zig-zag with attaching hook portions one of which is laterally offset with respect to the other, said pairs of hook portions being molecularly united adjacent the zig-zag and the hook ends.

7. A metal caging for reinforcing a composition covering of structural members which comprises a pair of substantially parallel zig-zag members having pairs of hook ends, arched means spaced from and between said pairs of hook ends for connecting said zig-zag members to each other and to the structural member and for spacing one further awy from the structural member than the other.

8. A metal caging for reinforcing a composition covering for a structural member which comprises a stay extending back and forth across and along an outer surface of said structural member at a distance therefrom, attaching portions for securing the same to said structural member, and portions for spacing said stay from the adjacent surface of said structural member, said attaching and spacing portions being reinforced against bending with respect to the plane of said stay.

9. A metal caging for reinforcing a composition covering for a structural member which comprises a stay extending back and forth across and along an outer surface of said structural member at a distance therefrom, attaching portions for securing the same to said structural member, and portions for spacing said stay from the adjacent surface of said structural member, said attaching and spacing portions being reinforced against bending with respect to the plane of said stay, and being shaped to avoid being bent if walked on.

10. A metal caging for reinforcing a composition covering for a structural member which comprises a pair of stays at least one of them extending back and forth across and along an outer surface of said structural member at a distance therefrom, attaching portions for securing the pair of stays to said structural member, and portions for spacing at least one of said stays from the adjacent surface of said structural member, said attaching and spacing portions being reinforced against bending with respect to the plane of said stay, said attaching and spacing portions for'one stay on one side being connected with the attaching portions for the other stay of said pair.

11. A metal caging for reinforcing a composition covering for a structural member which comprises a stay extending back and forth across and along an outer` surface of said structural member at a distance therefrom, attaching portions for securing the same to said structural member, and for spacing said stay from the adjacent surface of said structural member, said attaching and spacing portions being reinforced against bending with respect to the plane of said stay, said attaching and spacing portions on one side being composed of at least two hooks one of which is contiguous the side of said structural member and the other of which is laterally offset therefrom, sai-d two hooks being connected adjacent the stay and adjacent the ends thereof away from the stay.

l2. A metal caging for reinforcing a composition covering for a structural member, which comprises a pair of cross stays adapted to extend back and forth across and along-an outer surface of said structural member and also inwardly along at least portions of opposite sides of said member, one of said stays being spaced from the sides and face of said member and the other stay being contiguous the sides and face of said member, said stays being also contiguous each other on the sides and face of said member whereby the spaced stay is reinforced against distortion and substantial change of its shape.

13. A metal caging for reinforcing a composition covering on a structural member which comprises inner and outer zigzag members, Welded together, attaching hook portions for each zigzag member on each side of a structural member welded together beyond the first mentioned.

welded portions to reinforce one another, one of said zigzag members being spaced from the sur face of said structural member.

DAVID HOMER HAYDEN. 

